Skoda Yeti scales the heights

SINCE my first introduction to the Skoda Yeti last year, I was enthralled by this most unusual contender from the Czech manufacturer.

It was my car of the year for 2011 on the basis that it not only re-wrote the design manual for small, practical, family-orientated cars, but it also redefined the driving characteristics for such a machine.

My first introduction to the Yeti was in the 1.2 litre twin turbo petrol engine and I was really gobsmacked by what is an unbelievably driver-friendly engine, allied to a remarkably practical overall product. This time around, though, I tried the 4x4 version in Ambition trim and with the excellent two litre TDi petrol with 124 kW (170 bhp) and a six-speed gearbox. And what a wow it was.

Skoda has an ambitious plan to develop its sales potential right across Europe and here in Ireland is looking to become a top-five brand by 2015 — something which I believe it will achieve before then. Even so, part of its brand development strategy is to emphasise its 4x4 range, which now includes such as the Superb saloon and Combi 4x4s and the Octavia Scout all terrain model which we will be writing about in the not too distant future.

The company’s ambitions have, until now, mainly been based on conservative designs such as the Fabia, Octavia and Superb which are competitively priced and well specified. In recent times though, such as the Roomster and the Yeti have exploded the conservative demeanour of the company and introduced the brand to a new and curious buyer.

The 4x4 Yeti will further expand the numbers of the curious because if they explore the car fully, they will find a machine which is not just capable of providing a fantastic day-to-day service for family motoring, but is now capable of taking said family to new and unexplored places.

In terms of the 4x4 system, Skoda has adopted the fourth generation Haldex inter-axle clutch whose — get this — electrohydraulically controlled multi plate clutch is located in the same housing as the axle drive and rear diff.

Using a variety of sensors — such as the engine control unit, the ABS/ESP control unit and the steering wheel angle sensor — it delivers drive to the wheels which need it most and, depending on circumstance, will spread the load around to where grip is needed most.

The car is also equipped with an off-road button which activates a whole host of functions in order to assist the driver in tricky uphill and downhill manoeuvres and will brake wheels individually and maintains traction even if the right and left hand wheels are experiencing different levels of traction.

The system is such that you do not know you were driving a four wheel drive car in normal circumstances and this is the beauty of it; there is no perceptible added weight to either the transmission or clutch.

On the road the car is a model of driver-friendliness. You might expect from such a tall car that body roll and general stability might be problematic issues, but that’s not so. In fact, the Yeti is a remarkably agile machine and one which corners with alacrity.

And it is not one whose abilities in this regard compromise passenger comfort as the ride is generally excellent and the overall handling package is one which both driver and as many as five passengers can easily live with.

The VARIOflex seating arrangements, which provides upto eight different seating configurations and also allows for a rapid transformation from passenger car to cargo carrier, make the Yeti even more practical and user-friendly. The individually sliding rear seats make living in the rear passenger compartment very easy and make tailoring individual leg room requirements a doddle. With the height of the car, head room is not an issue.

There is plenty of safety kit as standard and this includes as many as nine airbags, depending on specification, while the electronic driving stability systems make driving, even in treacherous conditions, fairly easy.

All 2012 vehicles will have a standard sat nav system, but the standard kit levels are impressive anyway what with stuff like remote central locking, cornering front fog lights, Bluetooth phone connection, a multi-function steering wheel, rear parking sensors, 17” alloys, cruise control and rain sensing wipers all coming as part of the Ambition package.

All told then, the Yeti is a very clever beast indeed. It is a beautifully designed and executed package which addresses a whole host of customer needs and it will surprise you with the level of ability it has in a wide variety of circumstances.

It may be that the 4x4 version will only appeal to a small customer base, but that should not stop people exploring the Yeti range as a whole.